The 8-Bit Canvas

Some people just know how to throw a party. Jon Gibson, the mastermind behind "i am 8-bit," is one of those people. Riding on a wave of geek chic, and pimping two of the coolest spaces on Melrose, Gibson presided over the opening of the show with a clipboard and a smile. The gallery was packed, and everyone was basking in the glow of digital nostalgia&#Array; just as he had envisioned.

Split between two spaces&#Array;Gallery Nineteen Eighty-Eight and the beyond-cool videogame/gamer lifestyle store Acme Game Store&#Array;i am 8-bit's opening festivities featured pieces from dozens of artists, a giant NES controller (provided by G4 and requiring two players), two separate bars tended by the Suicide Girls, and even a special guest appearance by Tom Ham. In the corner, a DJ known as 8-bit weapon mixed tunes (including a righteous cover of Van Halen's "Jump" in low-fi computer noises) as gallery patrons chatted, gazed and bounced to the beat. The show was upbeat and fun, and at one time, nearly shut down by police because too many folks were spilling onto Melrose.

On the official show website, i am 8-bit, the exhibit is described as such: "i am 8-bit gathers the talents of over 100 of the world's top artists, to put their memories to paper, canvas, wood, or somewhere in between, recalling those oh-so-fond gaming moments from the era when pixels reigned king. There are absolutely no 3D-inspired works in the show; just pre-1995 influences, a decadent time when games were flat and flourishing with creativity. Anything goes-from the crazed image of a Burger Time sausage gone ballistic to Space Invaders doing disco- hindered only by the artists' imagination."

The site also lists all of the artists featured in the exhibit, as well as a truncated gallery of some of the art included at the show. Or, you can just check out the images below for a taste of what it had to offer: